Pork Neck Kebabs

Thursday, 11 February 2016

We are selling more and more pork neck from the butchery counter at De Warenmarkt. Little wonder. It's tender, has no fat to speak of and it is the most flavourful part of the pig away from the ribs and belly. It's also very affordable. There's an incredible Durban-style curry you can make with pork neck, but that's a longer recipe for another time. This week's recipe is for a lovely kebab with a delicate smokey flavour to it.

800 g pork neck, cut into 2 cm cubes

30 ml smoked paprika

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

125 ml sherry

30 ml olive oil

15 ml sage, chopped

salt and pepper

skewer sticks soaked in water

Put the pork cubes in a glass bowl. Combine the smoked paprika, garlic, sherry, olive oil, sage and seasoning in a measuring jug or small bowl. Mix or stir well to make sure the paprika dissolves properly, then pour over the pork to coat well. Cover the bowl with cling-film and refrigerate for up to 6 hours. Take it out at least 30 minutes before cooking – you want it at room temperature for best results.

Thread the cubed pork onto the skewers and you’re ready to go. You can pan-fry these, but as always – even for cooking pork – we prefer a live fire. Cook the kebabs over a medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, turning every 2 minutes. They should take on a golden colour, then you can take them off the heat to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

We like to eat these with a buttered Portuguese roll. Use the roll like a mitt to grab the meat on the stick and slide it off. Great pork bun. You can also serve it with a salad and savoury rice for a less casual meal.